Sugimoto America held a booth at this year’s World Tea Expo with the aim of educating people about Japanese green teas. People come to the event from around the globe, but many people in the tea industry are still unaware of the intricacies of Japanese green tea. We are always happy to sit with people over a cup of tea, and talk about tea farming in Japan, tea production, health benefits, and sustainable farming practices. People who love tea also love talking about tea, so the World Tea Expo becomes a great learning experience for all.

SA staff dressed in traditional happi coats

This year, we were again invited to the ITCC (International Tea Cuppers’ Club) Cup Warming Social, where they showcase rare teas from around the world. We were lucky enough to be one of the six presenters, so we chose our rare Temomi Shincha (“hand-rolled, first harvest” tea) and Suwanohara Sencha, a high-quality sencha produced by a farm using traditional, sustainable farming methods. Other rare teas presented included a steamed green tea from Darjeeling, India, and a white tea from the Big Island of Hawai’i. For the roughly 50 audience members, it was a special treat to try these limited production teas, some of which are not even on the market.

Loose leaf, powders, and a Hoji Cha Latte on display.

Our Temomi Shincha, made by a team of temomi artisans including company vice president, Kazue Sugimoto, is always a special treat. With only 3.5 lbs produced this year and with our stock selling out within a month, this was a rare opportunity for so many people to try this rare tea.

While the World Tea Expo is open only to industry professionals and media, we will be at the Northwest Tea Festival this fall, a show open to the general public. If you are in the Seattle area, please come October 4th or 5th. Hope to see you then!